'Boys' club' party working to be democratic - MP

Zarah Sultana said the new party was moving forwards

An MP who accused Jeremy Corbyn of overseeing a "sexist boys' club" when he founded a new left-wing party has said sexism is "prevalent in all spaces, especially political spaces".

Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, now Independent member for Coventry South, had accused Corbyn of locking women out when setting up Your Party, claiming she was sidelined.

She told the BBC's Politics Midlands programme the new party was working to be "more democratic, more representative", adding voters were desperate for an alternative.

After Sultana said she also experienced Islamophobia and misogyny in Labour, a Labour source said the party took all complaints seriously and dealt with them in line with party rules.

Paulette Hamilton, Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, said Sultana's complaints were all about "perception", adding: "I've been in the Labour Party for well over 20 years, and I've not actually seen any of what she's talking about."

Ayoub Khan, Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, a founder member of the new party, said: "I can just vouch for myself and say that I am not sexist."

He said voters were disenfranchised after years of austerity under the Conservatives and Labour, adding: "They can't afford three square meals for their family. They can't pay a utility bill at the end of the month. They can't enjoy that one annual holiday."

'Can't trust any of them'

Shoppers out in Coventry had mixed reactions to the new party. One man saw it as "promising" after Labour's "bad start".

A woman said politicians were changing teams all the time, adding: "I don't think you can trust any of them."

Another woman said she was "not a leftie", but if it was healthy competition then "good luck to them".

Nobody liked the two main parties, another man said, adding people were being driven to one side or the other.

"Look at Reform. You can argue they're a more extreme version of the Tories," he said.

Councillor Adam Kent, leader of Worcestershire County Council's Conservative group, wondered how long it would last after recent "discord".

"You're now going to have three parties on the left competing," he said.

"Where this will wash out we're really not sure. Coming up to the Birmingham elections next year, it's going to be really interesting."